Self-assembled vertical nanostructures take advantage of high interface-to-volume ratio and can be used to design new functionalities by the choice of a proper combination of constituents. However, ...most of the studies to date have emphasized the functional controllability of the nanostructures using external electric or magnetic fields. In this study, to introduce light (or photons) as an external control parameter in a self-assembled nanostructure system, we have successfully synthesized oxide nanostructures with CoFe2O4 nanopillars embedded in a SrRuO3 matrix. The combination of photostrictive SrRuO3 and magnetostrictive CoFe2O4 in the intimately assembled nanostructures leads to a light-induced, ultrafast change in magnetization of the CoFe2O4 nanopillars. Our work demonstrates a novel concept on oxide nanostructure design and opens an alternative pathway for the explorations of diverse functionalities in heteroepitaxial self-assembled oxide nanostructures.
Indoxyl sulfate (IS) is a protein-binding molecule that exhibits cardiovascular (CV) toxicity. This study determined whether the serum IS level can be used to predict the risk of major adverse CV ...events (MACEs) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
We studied 147 patients with CKD stage 1–5 over a 3-year follow-up period. IS was measured through mass spectrometry. Patients’ demographics were collected and analyzed to predict outcomes by using multivariable Cox regression.
Forty-seven (32.0%) patients had MACEs. IS remained significantly associated with MACEs after multivariable regression analysis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for IS levels was 0.708 (95% confidence interval: 0.618–0.798).
IS may have a critical role in the prediction of CV disease in patients with CKD. Further large-scale investigations are warranted and suggested.
Addition of cetuximab showed trend, but not significantly, to improve the therapeutic effects of gemcitabine and oxaliplatin combination for advanced biliary tract cancer in current randomized phase ...II trial. The trend of improvement did not correlate with KRAS mutation status. Biomarkers finding for selecting patients who will benefit most from anti-EGFR targeted therapy is warranted.
Previous clinical trials have not proved that adding epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors to chemotherapy confers a survival benefit for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (ABTC). Whether the KRAS mutation status of tumor cells confounded the results of past studies is unknown.
ABTC patients stratified by KRAS status, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, and primary tumor location were randomized 1 : 1 to receive GEMOX (800 mg/m2 gemcitabine and 85 mg/m2 oxaliplatin) or C-GEMOX (500 mg/m2 cetuximab plus GEMOX) every 2 weeks. The primary end point was objective response rate (ORR).
The study enrolled 122 patients between December 2010 and May 2012 (62 treated with C-GEMOX and 60 with GEMOX). Compared with GEMOX alone, C-GEMOX was associated with trend to better ORR (27% versus 15%; P = 0.12) and progression-free survival (PFS, 6.7 versus 4.1 months; P = 0.05), but not overall survival (OS, 10.6 versus 9.8 months; P = 0.91). KRAS mutations, which were detected in 36% of tumor samples, did not affect the trends of difference in ORR and PFS between C-GEMOX and GEMOX. The two treatment arms had similar adverse events, except that more patients had skin rashes, allergic reactions, and neutropenia in the C-GEMOX arm. Of patients with C-GEMOX, the presence of a grade 2 or 3 skin rash was associated with significantly better ORR, PFS, and OS.
Addition of cetuximab did not significantly improve the ORR of GEMOX chemotherapy in ABTC, although a trend of PFS improvement was observed. The trend of improvement did not correlate with KRAS mutation status.
This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01267344). All patients gave written informed consent.
The aim of our study was to provide real-world data on outcomes for elderly Taiwanese patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement or surgical aortic valve replacement in different ...risk groups.
From March 2011 through December 2021, 177 patients with severe aortic stenosis who were ≥70 years old and had undergone TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation) or SAVR (surgical aortic valve replacement) in a single center were divided by STS score (<4%, 4-8% and >8%) into three different groups. Then, we compared their clinical characteristics, operative complications, and all-cause mortality.
In all risk groups, there were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality, or 1-year and 5-year mortality between patients in the TAVI and SAVR groups. In all risk groups, patients in the TAVI group had shorter hospital stay and higher rate of paravalvular leakage than the SAVR group. After univariate analysis, BMI (body mass index) < 20 was a risk factor for higher 1-year and 5-year mortality. In the multivariate analysis, acute kidney injury was an independent factor for predicting worse outcomes in terms of 1-year and 5-year mortality.
Taiwan elderly patients in all risk groups did not have significant differences in mortality rates between the TAVI and the SAVR group. However, the TAVI group had shorter hospital stay and higher rate of paravalvular leakage in all risk groups.
SARS-CoV-2 has been confirmed in over 450 million confirmed cases since 2019. Although several vaccines have been certified by the WHO and people are being vaccinated on a global scale, it has been ...reported that multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants can escape neutralization by antibodies, resulting in vaccine breakthrough infections. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is known to induce heterologous protection based on trained immune responses. Here, we investigated whether BCG-induced trained immunity protected against SARS-CoV-2 in the K18-hACE2 mouse model. Our data demonstrate that i.v. BCG (BCG-i.v.) vaccination induces robust trained innate immune responses and provides protection against WT SARS-CoV-2, as well as the B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2 variants. Further studies suggest that myeloid cell differentiation and activation of the glycolysis pathway are associated with BCG-induced training immunity in K18-hACE2 mice. Overall, our study provides the experimental evidence that establishes a causal relationship between BCG-i.v. vaccination and protection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge.
Terrestrial mud volcanism represents the prominent surface geological feature, where fluids and hydrocarbons are discharged along deeply rooted structures in tectonically active regimes. Terrestrial ...mud volcanoes (MVs) directly emit the major gas phase, methane, into the atmosphere, making them important sources of greenhouse gases over geological time. Quantification of methane emission would require detailed insights into the capacity and efficiency of microbial metabolisms either consuming or producing methane in the subsurface, and establishment of the linkage between these methane-related metabolisms and other microbial or abiotic processes. Here we conducted geochemical, microbiological and genetic analyses of sediments, gases, and pore and surface fluids to characterize fluid processes, community assemblages, functions and activities in a methane-emitting MV of southwestern Taiwan. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that aerobic/anaerobic methane oxidation, sulfate reduction and methanogenesis are active and compartmentalized into discrete, stratified niches, resembling those in marine settings. Surface evaporation and oxidation of sulfide minerals are required to account for the enhanced levels of sulfate that fuels subsurface sulfate reduction and anaerobic methanotrophy. Methane flux generated by in situ methanogenesis appears to alter the isotopic compositions and abundances of thermogenic methane migrating from deep sources, and to exceed the capacity of microbial consumption. This metabolic stratification is sustained by chemical disequilibria induced by the mixing between upward, anoxic, methane-rich fluids and downward, oxic, sulfate-rich fluids.
Novel low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H5N2 viruses hit poultry farms in Taiwan in 2003, and evolved into highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses in 2010. These viruses are reassortant ...viruses containing HA and NA genes from American-lineage H5N2 and six internal genes from local H6N1 viruses. According to a serological survey, the Taiwan H5N2 viruses can cause asymptomatic infections in poultry workers. Therefore, a development of influenza H5N2 vaccines is desirable for pandemic preparation. In this study, we employed reverse genetics to generate a vaccine virus having HA and NA genes from A/Chicken/CY/A2628/2012 (E7, LPAI) and six internal genes from a Vero cell-adapted high-growth H5N1 vaccine virus (Vero-15). The reassortant H5N2 vaccine virus, E7-V15, presented high-growth efficiency in Vero cells (512 HAU, 10
TCID
/mL), and passed all tests for qualification of candidate vaccine viruses. In ferret immunization, two doses of inactivated whole virus antigens (3 μg of HA protein) adjuvanted with alum could induce robust antibody response (HI titre 113.14). In conclusion, we have established reverse genetics to generate a qualified reassortant H5N2 vaccine virus for further development.
To enhance the adhesion and polymerization of lipase‐plasma‐polymerized‐ethylene (lipase‐PPE) coatings deposited by aerosol‐assisted atmospheric plasma deposition (AAAPPD), the effects of voltage, ...ceramic‐dielectric thickness, and pre‐coated PPE layer were investigated. In AAAPPD system, ethylene and lipase‐phosphate‐buffered‐saline aerosol were used as precursors to polymerize ethylene and embed lipase simultaneously. The deposited lipase‐PPE coatings were analyzed with FTIR, SEM, and surface profiler. The results show that increasing voltage from 3 to 4 kV and decreasing ceramic‐dielectric thickness from 1 to 0.38 mm improved the coating adhesion and polymerization. Also, depositing a PPE layer with high energy prior to lipase‐PPE coating enhanced adhesion. These improvements of the biomolecule‐PPE coatings facilitate further bioapplications of this new biomolecule‐embedding method.
In this study, the adhesion and polymerization of the aerosol‐assisted atmospheric‐pressure plasma deposition (AAAPPD) deposited lipase‐plasma‐polymerized ethylene (lipase‐PPE) coatings were improved by increasing applied voltage, decreasing ceramic‐dielectric thickness, and adding a pre‐coated PPE buffer layer. According to the results, we also hypothesized the related mechanisms of the AAAPPD process.
The level of global DNA methylation may be related to the cerebrovascular disease. The methylation level of Long Interspersed Nucleotide Element 1 (LINE-1) can represent the global methylation level. ...We investigated the association between the methylation levels of LINE-1 and ischemic stroke in Chinese. Two hundred and eighty patients of ischemic stroke and 280 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. The mean percentage of three CpG sites of LINE-1 was calculated for each subject and was used for analysis. Twenty four samples were re-checked for reproducibility of the methylation assay. Multivariate regression model was used to estimate the odds ratio of stroke risk for one percent change of methylation. Sex-specific analysis was also conducted. Thirty-two cases and 11 controls did not pass the methylation assay criteria, and were excluded from further analysis. The intra-class correlation has a coefficient of 0.97 for the methylation assay. The stroke cases had a lower methylation level than controls (p=0.002), especially male subjects (p=0.001). Sex-specific analysis showed that a decrease of 1% methylation level in men could increase a stroke risk by 1.2-fold after adjusting for other risk factors. LINE-1 methylation levels did not have a significant association with stroke in women. The present study shows that a lower level of LINE-1 methylation was associated with a higher risk for ischemic stroke in men, but methylation level in women did not affect the stroke risk. Our finding in Chinese is consistent with a previous result based on elderly white men.
PDF
